Peace Art
"Not what a man knows, but what a man feels, concerns art. All else is science." -''Bernard Berenson, 1897'' DEFINITION OF ART Just as there are many arts, there is no set definition of art. But one recognizable theme is, art as an expression of communication. Much good art has a classical orientation; seemingly coming from a deeper and common source, so as to possess the ability to speak to everyman, and beyond time. But art need not be so intimidating - “art for art’s sake” is also art. Perhaps art is a verb. It’s the movement of creation expressing Itself through life itself, in many varied forms. To be bitten by a muse is an otherworldly event, allowing for the expression of the deeper, more inexpressible sensibilities. Less used portions of the brain are activated. Time stands still, all priorities are reshuffled behind the strength of creation. Of all the arts, visual art is, by definition, a presentation. That is to say, that what is expressed is displayed simultaneously in one moment and not strung out over time, as within the other arts. This lends poignancy to the other elements in visual art, such as line, composition, color, lighting and contrast. It presents the concepts of value and preservation. from Wikipedia: "Traditionally the term art was used to refer to any skill or mastery, a concept which altered during the Romantic period, when art came to be seen as "a special faculty of the human mind to be classified with religion and science".1 Generally art is a (product of) human activity, made with the intention of stimulating the human senses as well as the human mind; by transmitting emotions and/or ideas. Beyond this description, there is no general agreed-upon definition of art. Art is also able to illustrate abstract thought and its expressions can elicit previously hidden emotions in its audience." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art BRIEF HISTORY OF ART In 1940 five teenagers and their dog discovered prehistoric wall paintings in a cave in Lascaux, France. The fact that they were a mile from the mouth of the cave indicates that they were part of some ritual practice, and the cave some sort of sanctuary. Many pictures of game animals – almost 600 altogether - indicates that they could be part of a preliminary hunting ritual. It has been claimed that paintings in these caves within what is called The Shaft of the Dead Man, includes a map of the Pleiades star cluster, a cluster of stars sometimes called the Seven Sisters. It can be seen in the above photograph to the right. These cave paintings are said to be approximately 16,500 years old. Heavy volumes of tourist traffic caused authorities to close the caves to the public in 1963, but they have built a replica. Similar cave paintings have also been found on the walls of caves in Spain, in the mountains known as Pico de Castillo, from 14,000 years ago. More star clusters have been identified within patterns of dots, which are said to form a constellation known as the Northern Crown. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/871930.stm